Follow The River and Through The Woods
by MegaeraVanbure
Summary: Remus and Sirius go exploring during a school break...


Rating: G

Character/Pairing: Remus Lupin, Sirus Black; none honestly, vaguely implied at best Warnings: None, really. My style is wonky? ;op

Image Prompt Used: /wbp1.jpg

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Remus didn't always enjoy spending his holidays away from Hogwarts. There was a time when he went home, alone, to visit with his parents. He got along with them well enough, until and unless a full moon happened to fall upon those vacations. Never did he miss Hogwarts more than when he was locked in the cold stone basement while his parents watched him with a pitying eye. They didn't mean to hurt him. He knew that. And he didn't wish to hurt anyone else, either. He knew this was for the best. Still, he longed for the nights when a magnificent stag, a great shaggy dog, and a skittish rat ran at his side, letting him run free despite the quite rational fear that he might escape their guard one day and make a mistake he would regret for the rest of his life--if he wasn't hunted and killed for it before he had much time to truly regret.

It wasn't until his Fifth Year, after the Marauders were 'in on his hairy little secret' that he managed to convince his parents to let the boys spend a holiday or two each year at their run-down farmhouse. He came to look forward to this time together: a time where they were free of school and its pressures, and the mischievous gang could get into little more trouble than an innocent raid of the nearest neighboring farm for a lunch of fresh picked pears and walnuts. In some ways, they were more his family than his own parents. They knew what he was, and they didn't fear him or pity him. In fact, they hardly thought about it at all. He was Remus, who just happened to also have this little problem with changing into a werewolf during full moons. And they _helped _him, in a way that truly helped and did not smack of 'help' meant only to keep themselves and others safe.

It was their Sixth Year, and they weren't very far into the year at all. The first break had come, almost too soon, and Remus was glad in a way that there had been homework assigned in many of his classes. He had a week to work on them, and they would keep his mind occupied. The others had all been invited to his home for the down time, of course, but for one reason or another they couldn't make it. Peter had dug his toe in the dirt, muttering something about his Mum. James had taken a time to pin down, as he was up in the air somewhere, his mind far away. When he finally did consider the offer, he declined, stating that he would be staying at Hogwarts for the week: apparently Evans was also spending her holiday at the castle, and he wanted to try to catch her alone. Sirius was, well, Sirius. He was full of surprises, and the sandy-haired boy had little hope that his friend could escape the Black family for another vacation without suffering some consequences. It was simply better not to ask.

Of course, a part of him was not surprised when, duffel slung over his shoulder casually, Sirius joined him on the platform with a cheerful cry of "Thought you'd run away without me, did you?" Most of him, though, was still surprised. He had expected that Sirius would do everything in his power to avoid returning home, but he hadn't dared to hope that such escape would be made to the Lupin residence. Relief washed over him in waves of warmth, a warmth that seemed to be radiating from Sirius as soon as they boarded the train. They chatted idly, about nothing of any real import, and the week left miles of promise stretched out before them.

It all started innocently enough. "I was thinking we might follow the stream and see where it leads us this time. We always stop just inside the property line. I want to know what's past that fence." The great willow tree just on this side of the Lupin line, its branches dipped languidly into the stream bed, was a favorite spot for the quartet. Their wanderings almost always brought them to this spot, and it was especially well suited for picnics of stolen produce. Accustomed to the early-rising habits of the Lupin clan--and generally in an effort to avoid helping with farm chores--the boys generally started their wanderings just before daybreak. By the time they found themselves eating beneath (and sometimes in) the branches of this tree, the heat of the day and their full stomachs had sated their curiosity for the day. It was generally the last place they went before heading back to the farmhouse.

Their first day they were caught sleeping in, and chores took up most of the day. By the time they were free, neither boy was eager to go adventuring. "Get some sleep, Moony." Sirius grinned, the eager look in his eye making the expression look all too much like the excited grin of Padfoot, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted happily. "We're heading out at dawn tomorrow." It wasn't hard for Remus to fall asleep that night. They had worked hard, and he was exhausted. Despite himself, he found himself anxious for the next day. Holidays were usually an all or nothing deal. This was the first time he would be wandering alone with Sirius. As he drifted into his dreams, he wondered whether his friend would be more or less adventurous and boisterous in the absence of James Potter.

More. Definitely more, Remus mused as he peeled his sheets back, shooing away the shaggy dog that had just jumped on his bed to wake him. Well, that was certainly one way to wake him from such pleasant dreams. He couldn't really recall what he had been dreaming about, but it most definitely had not been a big pink tongue licking his face and slobbering all over his sheets. He dressed mechanically, stretching every so often to get a few kinks out. Padfoot darted about the room, far more hyper than anyone had the right to be when the sun hadn't even risen over the horizon. After an irritated look, the dog gave a soft whine and Sirius regained his usual form once more. He sat on the edge of Remus' unmade bed, wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans that James must have loaned him--they were tall enough, but just a bit too snug to be entirely decent.

The two cut a direct route to the stream, following the bed to their usual spot beneath the willow. The walk wasn't a long one by any means, and in companionable silence they arrived just as the sun was fully visible in the sky. Remus leaned against the willow's steady trunk and watched as his friend splashed water from the stream on his face and into his hair. Sirius shook his head, sending droplets flying in every direction. The two laughed as Remus rubbed the water from his eyes.

All in all, it was a pleasant journey. Every so often, when conversation hit a slump, Sirius would shift to Padfoot and bound ahead, coaxing Remus to quicken his pace. The stream slowly grew stronger, wider as it progressed, it waters bubbling merrily. By lunch, Padfoot was leaping across the banks of the river, splashing without a care in the world. Remus chose to keep his distance, having no desire to smell of wet dog by the time they decided to head home, and instead coaxed his friend on with jests and jokes. Occasionally he would even throw a stick for Padfoot to fetch; the sticks never made it back to him.

By now, however, they were both getting hungry. They were deep within the forest that stood just outside Lupin property, and knew there were no farms nearby. In their haste to escape chores, they had forgotten to pack anything to eat. Remus was used to going hungry, and didn't mind it so much. He would frequently bury his nose in a book in the library, refusing to leave until he finished an assignment, because he knew he wouldn't have time if he let the Marauders drag him away to dinner. Padfoot, however, was starting to show a change in temperament.

The man-turned-dog trotted away from the water in a regal manner, as if his matting, dripping coat meant nothing to him. He approached his sandy-haired companion with a sneeze, and suddenly all pretense of dignity was lost. The dark pools of his eyes danced, and he sprung up on his hind legs, nearly toppling the slight young man as he put his forepaws on Remus' shoulders. And then--he was a dog no longer, but Sirius Black, with an excited glint in his eye. "I smell lunch!" His hands were on Remus' shoulders, and he squeezed them lightly before releasing the other man. "Let's go!"

The trail Padfoot had picked up was not too hard to follow. A short distance further, the river cut through to a lake ringed in trees. Before they even entered the clearing, the scent of fresh, ripe peaches was upon them. Even composed Remus found his mouth watering at the rich, earthy smell. Before they knew what they were doing, the pair had devoured a half-dozen of the fruits between them.

Sirius, first to finish his impromptu meal, moved to the clear waters of the lake. He sat at the edge of the water, his shoes kicking at the reeds, and washed his face. His hair--indeed, all his clothes--were soaked from splashing about in the river as Padfoot. The next step seemed logical enough. As Remus approached, stooping to wash his own face, the dark-haired youth dove into the depths with the grace of a water fowl, sending a spray of water to the bank where his friend complained loudly.

"Come on in, Moony!" It took some coaxing, and for a time Sirius thought he would never convince Remus to get in the water. A well timed splash, in conjunction with a cloud passing over the sun and a cool afternoon breeze whipping through the clearing, finally broke the werewolf's resolve. The following jump was nowhere near as graceful as the dive the lake had seen earlier that very afternoon, but it was enough.

The two laughed and roughhoused like children. It wasn't long before shoes--sodden and hindering in the lake's waters--were yanked from feet and thrown haphazard to the shore. On a whim, Sirius' white t-shirt soon followed. Their voices could be heard for at least a mile from the lake, but it seemed as though no people lived near enough to hear.

And if they stayed in that clearing well past nightfall, no one seemed to care The Lupins were not worried, as it was no where near a full moon and the boys knew how to take care of themselves. They only learned of the teens' return when they woke and found a pair of sodden jeans and Remus' equally soggy slacks hanging inside out on the clothes line, small pools of not-yet-mud below them proving that they hadn't been hanging very long at all.


End file.
